The Who Mark 50 Years With 'Long Goodbye' Tour

The Who are starting a "long goodbye" for fans by announcing a series of 50th anniversary shows for what looks likely to be their last major tour.

The group, featuring Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend, will play a series of arena concerts from November.

The Who, who formed in 1964 as the High Numbers, have continued to perform but with occasional lengthy breaks in their career.

Frontman Daltrey spoke last year about how the band would be reining-in their touring commitments and said they were planning a "last old-fashioned, big tour".

The 70-year-old vocalist - who famously sang "hope I die before I get old" in early hit My Generation - said of the newly announced Who Hits 50 shows: "This is the beginning of the long goodbye."

The rock band - whose well-known songs have included hits Won't Get Fooled Again, I Can't Explain and Pinball Wizard - have weathered the deaths of their manic drummer Keith Moon in 1978 and bass player John Entwistle in 2002.

In 2011 they are said to have reached an audience of more than 100 million when they were chosen to play at the US Super Bowl, then went on to perform at the closing ceremony of the London Olympics the following year.

Their last album of new material Endless Wire was issued in 2006 and was the first release for 24 years.

Guitarist Townshend, 69, joked about their anniversary: "We are what we are, and extremely good at it, but we're lucky to be alive and still touring.

"If I had enough hairs to split I would say that for 13 years since 1964, The Who didn't really exist - so we are really only 37."

The shows begin on November 30 at Glasgow's SSE Hydro, and wind up at the O2 Arena in London on December 17.

Tickets go on sale on Friday at 9am.